The lawmakers were blunt, forceful – and completely ineffective – in trying to persuade Chertoff to dole out more money to the nation’s top terror target, they told reporters after a frustrating, hourlong meeting with him at the Capitol.

“We hammered him,” said Schumer. “He gave a lot of explanations, none of which made any sense.”

“We’re going to continue to fight for every dollar we can get because we believe that New York remains the No. 1 terrorist target, and we’re going to do everything we can to protect New York,” vowed Clinton.

Spitzer said it “defies all logic” that New York gets only a modest increase in funds.

Homeland sources say the city will get only $134 million in anti-terror funds for next year – a measly 8 percent increase over last year and a stunning $73 million less than it got the year before.

Chertoff left the meeting, held in the luxurious Capitol office of Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-Rochester), sounding miffed that he got grilled over terror cuts at a meeting originally set to cover border security.

“I didn’t come here to talk about money,” he said on his way out.

Spitzer, who earlier in the day said the funding numbers were not a done deal, said: “It may not have been numbers on his agenda, but certainly he knew this was a concern of ours.”

Schumer noted that the feds were holding back funds from New York just as Chertoff warned that he could feel an elevated threat of attack in his gut.